Hosiery inspecting apparatus



April 21, 1959 F. AUTEM HOSIERY INSPEC'I'ING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 12, 1957 ?L E E INVENTOR F eo Au lie/n ATTORNEY.

April 21, 1959 F. AUTEM HOSIERY mspsc'rmc APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 1957 INVENTOR. flea Autem Z/ ATTORNEY.

HOSIERY INSPECTING APPARATUS Fred Autem, Mount Penn, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 12, 1957, Serial No. 702,414

7 Claims. (Cl. 223-77) This invention relates to a hosiery inspection device generally of the type disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 500,570 filed April 11, 1955, the instant application being a continuation in part of said co-pending application.

The invention relates more particularly to the incorporation into such device of means for distending the entire heel pocket of a stocking at the same time that the other portions of the stocking are being subjected to distention so that proper inspection thereof may be facilitated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a heel pocket expanding device which is self-adjustable in that a heel pocket of any size stocking may be distended without making adjustments to the form to accommodate the diflerences in the foot portions of various stockings.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a self-adjusting heel expanding device comprising a flexible tube-like member enclosing a coil spring. The device is movable from a position within a longitudinal recessed slot in which it lies below the fabric engaging surface of the form to an outwardly bowed position in which it distends the complete heel pocket of the stocking.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, my invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an expandable examining form shown in its retracted condition;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the left end portion of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 but with parts removed to more clearly show the mechanism of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 77 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 9 is a front view of that portion of the form as shown in Fig. 2 but showing a stocking, represented by the dot-dash line, having the heel pocket of a full-fashioned stocking distended according to the invention.

In the drawings, and more particularly in Fig. 1, there is shown the examining form element 10 of a stocking inspecting apparatus such as described in my said copending application. The left end of the form is a free end over which a stocking may be manually drawn, Welt end first, until the toe portion engages the free end. The right end evolves into means whereby the form is mounted on the remainder of the apparatus, and also defines the entrance for actuator means whereby the form can be expanded and retracted.

The form 10 includes a central support or channelshaped core member 11 (Fig. 6) running the full length thereof. Fixed upon the core member 11 are outer shell halves 12 and 13 which are spaced from each other to provide an opening 15 for movement of fin-shaped expander members 16 between retracted positions in which they lie substantially wholly between the shell halves and expanded positions in which they extend laterally from the shell halves. The mechanism for bringing about the retracting and expanding movements of the members 16 comprises actuator rods 17 movable longitudinally of the form between forward positions (Fig. 3) which cause the members 16 to lie between the shell halves, and rearward positions, which cause the members 16 to extend from the shell. The details of the form as well as the actuating mechanism are more fully described in the aforesaid co-pending application to which reference may be made.

' The instant invention resides in the provision of a flexible tubular device 18 positioned to underlie the heel pocket of a stocking mounted on the form, and movable between a relaxed condition in which it lies within a slot 38 in the shell half 12 and an underlying recess 36 in member 11, and an outwardly bowed heel pocket expanding condition (Fig. 9). Device 18 includes an outer portion or tube 19 made of flexible plastic such as Tygon or rubber or other suitable flexible material. Enclosed within the middle portion of the tube 19 is a coil spring 20 of the tension type having its coils in contiguous relation ship when in relaxed condition. Rod-shaped hinge members 21 and 22, which may be of identical form, are inserted in each end of the tube 19. The rod members, which for the main part are of a diameter to snugly fit within tube 19, each have a threaded reduced end portion 23 (Fig. 7) projecting within the coil spring 20 until a shoulder 24 engages the end coil of the spring 20. The device 18 forms a substantially solid rod-like member capable of flexing in that portion defined by the spring 20.

As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, hinge member 22 fitted into the right end of the tube 19 is pivotally mounted on a hinge pin 26 formed on a plate 27 fixed on the core member 11. The plate 27 is secured to the core member 11 by means similar to that employed for mounting the outer shell half 12 and described in my said co-pending application. This means includes an elongated slot 28 in core member 11 (Figs. 5 and 8), one end thereof being enlarged at 29 to permit entrance of the head of a fiat headed screw 30 threadably secured to the plate 27. The remainder of the slot 28 is of dovetail shape in cross section to conform with that of the screw head. To mount the plate 27 on the core member the plate is positioned with the screw head within the enlargement 29 and the plate is then moved longitudinally of the core member to the right as viewed in Fig. 8, until the screw reaches the end of the slot 28. To prevent the plate 27 from sliding in the opposite direction so as to disengage the screw 30 from the slot 28, there is provided a shouldered screw 31, threadably secured to the plate 27 and having a shoulder portion 32 snugly fitting in the enlarged portion 29 of the slot 28.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 6, the hinge member 21, fitted into the left end of tube 19, is pivotally mounted on a yoke 34 shaped so as to be freely movable to and fro within a space provided between the core member 11 and the outer shell half 12. Yoke 34 has its ends 35 mounted in holes provided in the actuator rods whereby the yoke moves longitudinally of the form with the actuator rods.

In the operation of the examining device a stocking is drawn over the form 10, when the latter is in its unexpanded condition (Figs. 1 and 2), until the stocking toe rests against the free end of the form, the stocking being positioned so that the heel is on that side of the form having the device 18. The form is expanded as described in my said co-pending application by moving the expander members 16 outwardly from their retracted positions between the shell halves 12 and 13, this movement being caused by a shifting of the actuator rods to right as viewed in Fig. 3. In the device of the present invention the shifting of the actuator rod also moves yoke 34 to the right to exert a compressive force against tubular device 18 causing hinge members 21 and 22 to swing outwardly on their pivots with the flexible section depressed by spring 20 forming a bow which serves to distend the heel pocket of the stocking (Fig. 9).

As will be understood the action of the contiguous spring coils will tend to create a bow in the flexible section of device 18 rather than a point. Furthermore the bowed portion will automatically adjust itself to the location and shape of the heel pocket of the stocking on the form.

It will be understood that the improvement specifically shown and described by which the above results may be obtained, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a hosiery examining form, a free end over which a stocking is adapted to be drawn, expander members in said form, and means for moving said members between retracted and expanded positions, the improvement comprising a heel expander means extending longitudinally of said form and including a flexible member supported at opposite ends thereof, and means for moving said flexible member between a position below the fabric engaging surface of said form and an outwardly bowed position, said last named means being operated by said means for moving said expander members.

2. In a hosiery examining form, a free end over which a stocking is adapted to be drawn, expander members in said form, and means for moving said members between retracted and expanded positions, including actuator elements, the improvement comprising a heel expander means, extending longitudinally of said form and including a flexible tubular member enclosing a spring means, and means for moving said tubular member between a position below the fabric engaging surface of said form and an outwardly bowed position at approximately right angles to said expander members, said last named means comprising actuator elements of said means for moving said expander members.

3. In a hosiery examining form, a free end over which a stocking is adapted to be drawn, expander members in said form, and means for moving said members between retracted and expanded positions including actuator elements, the improvement comprising a heel expander means, extending longitudinally of said form and including a flexible tubular member enclosing a spring means, a recess in said form for receiving said tubular member, and means for moving one end of said tubular member toward the other end thereof to cause said tubular member to move between a position from within said recess and an outwardly bowed position at approximately right angles to said expander members, said last named means comprising said actuator elements.

4. In a hosiery examining form, a free end over which a stocking is adapted to be drawn, expander members in said form, and means for moving said members between retracted and expanded positions including actuator elements, the improvements comprising a heel expander means extending longitudinally of said form, and including a flexible tubular member enclosing a spring means, a recess in said form for receiving said tubular member, said tubular member having one end thereof fixed to said form and means for moving the opposite end thereof toward said fixed end to cause said tubular member to move between a position from within said recess and an outwardly bowed position at approximately right angles to said expander members, said last named means comprising said actuator elements.

5. In a hosiery examining form, a free end over which a stocking is adapted to be drawn, expander members in said form, and means for moving said members between retracted and expanded positions including actuator elements, the improvements comprising a heel expander means, extending longitudinally of said form and including a flexible tubular member enclosing a spring means, a recess in said form for receiving said tubular member, said tubular member having a fixed end pivotally mounted on said form, and an opposite end pivotally mounted on a yoke means, means for moving said yoke toward said fixed end to cause said tubular member to move between a position from within said recess and an outwardly bowed position at approximately right angles to said expander members, said last named means comprising said actuator elements.

6. In a hosiery examining form, a free end over which a stocking is adapted to be drawn, expander members in said form, and means for moving said members between retracted and expanded positions including longitudinally movable actuator elements, the improvements comprising a heel expander means extending longitudinally of said form and including a flexible tubular member enclosing a coil spring and rod-like hinge members connected to opposite ends of said coil spring, means pivotally mounting one of said hinge members on said form, a yoke means, and means pivotally mounting the other of said hinge members on said yoke means, and means for supporting said yoke means on said actuator elements.

7. In a hosiery examining form, a free end over which a stocking is adapted to be drawn, expander members in said form, and means for moving said members between retracted and expanded positions including actuator elements, theimprovement comprising a heel expander means extending longitudinally of said form and including a flexible tubular member enclosing a flexible means, and means for moving said tubular member between a position below the fabric engaging surface of said form and an outwardly bowed position at approximately right angles to said expander members, said last named means comprising said actuator elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,090,883 Ammon Aug. 24, 1937 

